Athletic shoe

ABSTRACT

AN ATHLETIC SHOE FOR MINIMIZING THE POSSIBILITY OF INJURY TO THE LEGS OR KNEES OF THE WEARER COMPRISING AN UPPER, A SOLE, TAPERED CLEATS AT THE TOE AND HEEL OF THE SOLE, AND A SAFETY TRACTION BLOCK BETWEEN THE TOE AND HEEL CLEAST   AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF GROUND-ENGAGING RIBS DEPENDING THEREFROM.

Nov. 16, 1971 N I 3,619,916

ATHLETIC SHOE Filed March 19, 1970 2 Sheets-Shoot ll.

INVENTOR. ANTHONY NERI BY W W mmfiilwm ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 16, 1971 3,619,916

ATHLETIC SHOE Filed March 19, 1970 2 Sheets-Shoat 2 l mlgm INVENTOR.

ANTHONY 4 NERI ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Office Patented Nov. 16, 1971 3 619 916 diate toe cleats 1 and heel cleats 16, is a safety trac- ATHiETIC SHOE tion block 18 havmga plurality of ntegral, spaced, par- Anthony Ned, Dowd Road Westbrook, Conn. 06498 allel, laterally-extending saw-tooth like, ground-engaging Filed Mar. 19, 1970, Ser. No. 21,077 dependmg therefrom CL 43 23 2 5 Ribs 20 are downwardly and rearwardly directed and 5, 3 .59 R 1 l i extend transversely across the full width of the safety traction block and of the sole.

The safety traction block is preferably formed from ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE hard rubber or plastic and is fixed to the sole in any An athletic shoe for minimizing the possibility of injury 10 convenient manner Aitemenvely the Sole and traction to the legs or knees of the wearer comprising an upper, Safety .bleek could be mtegrelly formed a sole, tapered cleats at the toe and heel of the sole, and W11} be observed that the Plane of the aplces of ribs a safety traction block between the toe and heel cleats 20 13 disposed f of plane the apieee of and having a plurality of ground-engaging ribs depend- 14 and .Thls i Importance emee the Safety ing therefrom. tract on block is disposed directly below the major weight bearing portions of the foot and especially below the ball of the foot.

with athletic Shoes of the prior art, a plurality of Cleats 14 and 16, extending below the plane of ribs pered cleats are provided on the shoe sole. Usually these the tee and heel to dig eeeper the ground shoes have five or more cleats, usually three positioned 20 i the nbe the wearer retams a maxlmum mohh' by the toe and two positioned by the ball of the foot and but at he hme the Shoe sole completely trapped in two or three positioned under the heel. the earth or turf- With such Prior art shoes, when a player is in motion When the wearer is running, the ribs engage the earth running forward or backward or trotting, the cleats are or e but deeply F poemveli' as e cleats sunk deeply into the ground up to the sole of the shoe Thle 15 Shown dlegremrpatleeny m FIGS 5 itself. If a player is running hard, the cleats carry the and 7 wherelh the earth or turf 1S represehte'il by the full weight of his body and terrific pressure is applied lmagmary h In 51 the toe cleats are eleahy directly to the ball of the foot. At times, the cleats get as bemg mm deeply embedded than are the caught or hung in the ground with each Step The end in FIG. 7, the heel cleats are clearly shown as bemoinenturn, or running action of the players legs, will mg morefleeply embedded than are the yank out the cleats with no apparent efiore However Accordingly, the shoe affords full tract on for running, when the playerss momentum is Suddenly Stopped, that sudden stops and other maneuvers, but is easily releasis when he may be tackled low from the Side or from able from its engagement in the turf or earth because the back, the loss of the leg pumping rhythm will cause of the Shallow Penetration of the ribsthe feet to be solidly planted at the same time as an Thus even Should a player be tackled when hls foot opposing force, the tackler, may exert great pressure is hrhhy ihfPlahted f} the ground h e f h against the body, with the usual result of a break or fracor hh h 'h ,thereby matenahy mlmmlzmg the ture of the lower leg, or a torn knee cartlidge. Posslbhlty leg lhlhnes' The shoe of the invention was developed to do away The areahgerhent of three cleats at h e d two at with g injuries to athletes wherefore when the player 40 the heel is optional, but preferred. It is essential, howis hit, the body and the legs, go with the momentum of ever, that no cleats be provided at the ball area of the the opposing force, while still giving above average, if foot slhce this 15 the h l Welght f g areanot better, traction as compared with the conventional j thls area, h fm afety block is used to mainathletic shoe ta n maneuverability while minimizing the possibility of The shoe hereof reduces to almost nil the chances of lhlhry' knee or leg injuries to an athlete. I elem:

In the drawings; 1. An athletic shoe for mll'llmlZll'lg the possibility of FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a shoe embodylhlhry to the legs knees of the wearer p sing, an

ing my invention; upper, a sole, tapered cleats depending from the toe and FIG 2 is a bottom plan View thereof; heel of the sole, and a safety traction block depending FIG 3 i a realelevational View thereof; from the sole 'and extending between the toe and heel FIG 4 is a Perspective View of the Sole thereof; cleats, the safety traction block having a plurality of FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view showing the shoe in grohhd'ehgaglhg depehdling therefrom Wlth the Plane a fi t fl d position; of the apices of the cleats being disposed below the plane FIG. 6 is an end elevational view of the shoe of FIG. of the apiees of the ribs- 5, as seen from the left thereof; R f

FIG. 7 is a rear elevational view showing the shoe in e erenees a second flexed position; and UNITED STATES PATENTS FIG. 8 is an end elevational view of the sh of FI 1,870,751 8/1932 Reach 36--59 X 7, as seen from the right thereof. 2,045,066 6/1936 Bower 36-59 A shoe embodying the invention includes a pp 10 2,095,766 10/1937 Shapiro 36-67 X of high or low cut design and a sole 12, wh h Sole i 2,678,507 5/1954 D e 36-67 provided on its lower face with downwardly-directed 930 149 3 196 Hack et 1 36 59 X cleats 14 at the toe end of the shoe and with downwardly-directed cleats 16 at the heel end of the shoe, PATRICK LAWSON, Primary Examiner cleats 14 and 16 being of usual and well-known tapered hard rubber design Wherefore a detailed description US. Cl. X.R. thereof will not be here oifered. 36-25 R Also disposed on the lower face of sole 12, interme- 

